NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 255 



at the Gosport Eailway-station ; he also captured a paii' last 

 season at his residence in Shaftesbury Terrace. — W. V. Pearce ; 

 42, St. John's Street, Buckland, Portsmouth, August 21, 1882. 



Lepidoptera IX THE Fens. — Although this year Lepidoptera 

 are somewhat scarce in this neighbourhood, yet we have met with 

 a notable exception or two. Papilio Macliaon literally swarmed 

 early in July, at Wicken Fen, Caiubs. We captured a dozen in 

 half an hour, and continued to net them at about the same rate 

 for half a day. The man who lives near the Fen, to superintend 

 the draining machinery, also says that they were abundant, and 

 lie often keeps the larvae in his engine-room, which turn to 

 chrysalids in the autumn and into butterflies at irregular periods 

 during the winter commencing from early in December. The 

 larvae of Anticlea hadiata and ^. derivata were exceedingly common 

 on the dog-rose bushes in June. We obtained a large number by 

 the usual method of beating the bushes over an umbrella. — 

 Herbert E. Norris ; St. Ives, Hunts, October 9, 1882. 



Notes on Lepidoptera in Wales. — Having read in a recent 

 number of tiie 'Entomologist' about the scarcit)^ of Lepidoptera 

 this year, I give a brief account of my own experience this season, 

 as it may interest some of your readers. The only butterfly of 

 note that I captured was a fine specimen of AiMtitra Iris, the only 

 one I have seen this year, on June 13th, at Portmadoc; it was 

 feeding on a dead water-rat. The only Nocturni of note were 

 three specimens of Smerintlms ocellatus, all males. The total 

 absence here of Pieris hrassicce and P. napi is a striking fact, as 

 there were plenty to be caught and seen last year. I have also 

 from this place the following: — Pieris cratcegi, Vanessa C -album, 

 V. Atalanta, Argynnis Aglaia, and Hesperia Paniscus. The 

 above amount to all my collection this season, except an Agrotis 

 Ashtvorthii which was presented to me by a friend. The same 

 story comes from most of my friends and the members of the 

 Field Club over which I preside, many members having given up 

 collecting in despair. I may also state the total failure which I 

 experienced in larvje and pupa) hunting, being rewarded by one 

 pupa of Endromis versicolor. The only butterfly that was seen in 

 any quantity was Argynnis Euphrosyne. My breeding-cages have 

 been empty all through the season. Altogether the additions to my 

 collection, to compare with last year, amount to nothing. It is 



